End-gate for wagon-beds.



No. 544,135. Patented Feb. 27, won.

L. L. HAWORTH. END GATE FDR WAGON BEDS.

(Application filed Oct. 28, FLBQB.) (No Model.) 3 Shuts-Sheet I.

THE NORRIS Firms ca, PNDTD-LITHQ. WASHINGTON} n. c.

' Nd. 644,|35. Patented Feb. 27, 1900.

L. L; HAWOBTH, END GATE FOR WAGON BEDS.

(Application filed Oct. 28, 1899.)

(No model.) 3 shpats sheef 2.

' No. 644,135. Patented Feb. 27, I900.

L.,L. HAWURTH.

END GATE FOR WAGON BEDS.

(Application filed Oct. 28, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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LYSANDER L. HAWORTH, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

EN D-GATE FOR WAGON-BEDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,135, dated February 27, 1900.

Application filed. October 28, 1899. Serial No. 735,027. (No model.)

To rrZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LLYSANDER L. HAWORTH, of the city of Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End-Gates for WVagon-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides an end-gate. that may be used as a scoop-board and that facilitates dumping the contents of the bed. It is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an endgate embodying my improvements, such gate being held closed to retain the contents of the bed to which it is applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate and a fragment of the rear end of the bed, the gate being held closed as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail plan of one of the hitch-straps used in holding the gate and the dump-door closed. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the gate, showing the dumpdoor released preparatory to dumping the contents of the bed. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the bed in the act of dumping.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the gate with its fastenings released preparatory to forming a scoop-board. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing the end-gate in position to form a scoop board.

The end-gate 1 is wider than the wagonbed to which it is attached, audit has a dooropening in its lower end about the width of the inside of the bed. A door 2 is hinged to the upper edge of the door-opening, so as to swing outward, and there are buttons 16 on the side strips 3 of the end-gate, which are adapted to hold the door closed. The buttons are pivotally connected with strips 3 at their upper ends 17, and they have fingers 18 and 19 projecting rearward from their lower swinging ends. The end-gate'has plates 8 on opposite sides near the upper edge of the dump-door, and holes are formed in the plates and through the end-gates. Straps 7 are fastened one to each side of the wagon-bed in position to register with holes 8. The straps are long enough to extend through the endgate and the plates thereon when the gate is closed, and rods 9 are pivotally connected diately above the door-opening.

with the straps immediately outside the endgate. The rods 9 extend to the bottom of the end-gate, and short chains 10 connect enlarged rings 11 with the lower ends of the rods. The chains are small enough to pass through the holes in plates 8, but the rings are too large to permit such passage. I-Iitchstraps (shown in Fig. 3) are connected with the sides of the end-gate, and they extend inward to the rear of the gate, some little distance therefrom. The portions of the strap that are attached to the sides of the end-gate are shown at 12, and the inward extensions are shown at 12. The inward extensions each have a pair of depressions 13 and 14,

I which form seats for the rods 9 and hold them in different positions.

Cleat 4 is attached to the end-gate imme- Oleat 5 is attached to the upper edge of the door, and hinges 15 connect the two cleats together. A cleat 6 is secured to the dump-door near the swinging edge thereof, and the ends 6 of tho cleat extend sidewise beyond the door.

The sides 20 of the end-gate have downward extensions 21 at their front lower corners which fit against the-front edges of bed-cleats 22 when the end-gate is closed.

When the end -gate and the dump-door therein are .both secured, so as to hold the contents of the bed, the extensions 21 engage bed-cleats 22, the buttons 16 hang downward, with a corner of each engaging an edge of the dump-door, the. rods 9 extend directly downward between the fingers of the buttons, and they bear against ends 6 of cleat 6 and rest in depressions 14 of the hitch-straps. Under these conditions the edge of the endgate is held from backward swing by extensions 21, the rods are held from backward swing at their lower ends by the hitch-straps, the upper part of the gate is locked by the rods 9 and held from rearward swing by straps 7, and the dump-door is held partly by the buttons and partly by the pressure of rods 9 against ends 6 of the cleat 6. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

When it is desired to dump the contents of the bed, the rods 9 are forced sidewise to de-' pressions 13, where they are clear of the ends of cleat 6, and in moving to these positions they engage fingers 19 of the buttons and swing the buttons clear of the door. Then when the wagon is dumped the door swings open to any desired extent and the chains on the ends of the rods give way to facilitate the dumping operation. If the rods extended to rings 11, there Would be danger that they would strike the floor of the dump-platform and impede the dumping operation, and if they terminated at the lower edge of the endgate they would not belong enough to permit the gate to assume the proper position to act as a shovel-board.

When the end-gate is to be used as a scoopboard, the rods 9 are swung inward clear of the inner ends of the hitch-straps, thereby engaging fingers 18 of the buttons and swinging the buttons into extensive engagement with the dump-door, as shown in Fig. 6.-

The rods are then raised into approximate alinement with straps 7, and the end-gate is swung downward and backward to the position shown in Fig. 7, at which time the rings 11 arrest further motion and sustain the swinging end of the gate.

In scoop-boards not connected with the wagon-boxes byhinges there is always a slight danger of the rear end of the board tilting with the weight of the shoveler, and to avoid this I fasten a strip 22 to the rear crosspiece of the bed, as shown in Fig. 7, and extend catches from the lower edge of the scoopboard in position to fit under the strip when the scoop-board is lowered. These catches are preferably formed by diverting the inner ends of the hitch-straps downward, as shown at 14 in Figs. 6 and 7.

I claim- 1. The combination of a scoop-board, a dump-door hinged in the scoop-board, supporting-rods for the scoop-board and means whereby the rods hold the dump-door closed when the scoop-board is raised, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a scoop-board, a dump-door hinged in the scoop-board, supporting-rods for the scoop-board and means whereby the rods hold the scoop-board raised and the dumpdoor closed, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a scoop-board, a dump-door hinged in the scoop-board, supporting-rods for the scoop-board connected with the bed and engageable with the scoopboard, extensions on the dump-door, and hitches on the scoop-board near the bottom thereof to hold the rods in engagement with the extensions of the door, substantially as described.

4:. The combination of a scoop-board, a dump-door hinged in the scoop-board, swingable buttons on the board to hold the door closed, and supporting-rods for the scoopboard operative on the buttons of the door, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a scoop-board, a dump-door hinged in the scoop-board, swingable buttons on the board to hold the door closed, fingers on the buttons and supporting-rods for the board having sidewise shift to assume their different operative positions, such rods extending between the fingers of the buttons while the scoop-board is held closed, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a scoop-board, a dump-door hinged in the scoop-board, supporting-rods for the scoop-board, hitch-straps 'for the connecting-rods extending inward in the rear of the board and having each two depressions at different points along its transverse extension, buttons on the board engageable with the door and each having a pair of fingers and a cleat on the door extending beyond the sides thereof all arranged and operating as described.

7. The combination with a combined scoopboard and dump, of board sustaining and locking rods extending to near the bottom of the board and chains attached to the ends of the rods to complete the lengths required to support the board in scooping position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LYSANDER L. ITAVVORTII.

Witnesses:

J. M. Donn, J. W. REAVIS. 

